Stylo SS flex causing a creeking sound?

All,

The last couple of weeks my 2 year old Stylo SS cranks have been creeking like crazy. I assumed this was due to the bottom bracket shell or spindle getting dirty after some wet and muddy rides (all in sanctioned conditions), so I took the drive train apart, cleaned, and replaced everything, lubing the BB shell and spindle. However, based on the unscientific study of standing on the cranks in my kitchen it still seems to be creeking and the only thing I can think of is that the crank flex is causing it. Has anyone else experience this?

BTW, I'm using the 2 year old Stylo with a brand new UN-73 BB and brand new Time ATACs.

Perhaps it's the cracks in the crankarms that are creaking. If you've gotten two years out of those cranks, consider yourself lucky. Mine broke on the non-drive side, but the drive side was about ready to let go too when that happened. Take a close look at the crank arms anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 inches out from the BB and I bet you money you'll find the cracks I'm talking about. I was lucky I wasn't injured, as it happened when I was putting a major effort into climbing over a log.

Yup, its a square taper. When I bought it I heard too many complaints about ISIS, so I stuck with what had also worked fine. This is the first problem I've had, other than the cranks wet noodle quality.

Originally Posted by roadiegonebad

He wrote: "BTW, I'm using the 2 year old Stylo with a brand new UN-73 BB and brand new Time ATACs."

could be

i thought my stylo teams (2 or 3 years old) or the bb was creaking on my chameleon, so i went to The Path and bought a new FSA Platinum bb to solve what i figured was a bb problem, after all, i had just gone through the same thing on my DiSS a few months before. but, on the way out, some new raceface cranks caught my eye and i bought those, too.

now i have no more creaking, but didn't do a very good job isolating the problem.

Do you recommend Phil wood grease, anti-seize or loctite on the pedals and chainring bolts? I've always used loctite on them, including this time around.

Phil wood is fine. Grease the outside of the nuts on the backside of the arms. They seem to always corrode over time and cause some creaking. Pedals too...I use the times as well...grease the shoulder where it contacts the crankarm and the threads of course. That should do it. Also on square taper BB's....don't grease them as it will ruin the cranks by allowing them to slide on too far. If anything clean the flats with degreaser and then drip a drop of oil on your finger tips and rub them around then rub the flats of the spindle. This will keep the cranks from creaking while allowing for a press fit. The degreaser dries out the flats and exposes hairline cracks which will creak over time. Sorry to ramble...

c'mon, Jed... "crappy ISIS BB"?

I haven't had but one ISIS BB failure in 5 years. that one was on an early Truvativ Sealex, which were well-known to have bearing problems. since then not a single issue. had MANY more square-taper BB issues in the prior 5 years, and I was riding MUCH less often then.

I haven't had but one ISIS BB failure in 5 years. that one was on an early Truvativ Sealex, which were well-known to have bearing problems. since then not a single issue. had MANY more square-taper BB issues in the prior 5 years, and I was riding MUCH less often then.

besides, it was a square-taper he was using! UN-73, he said..

Yeah, didn't really read up on the square taper thing.

As for ISIS, been through six BB's in my one ISIS experiment between suzy and I.

(one RF Prodigy, two ti signature ones, one signature xs, and two american classic ones.)

As for ISIS, been through six BB's in my one ISIS experiment between suzy and I.

(one RF Prodigy, two ti signature ones, one signature xs, and two american classic ones.)

Bad design, hence, crap.

I've only had 1 failure too in 4 years, also a Sealex BB. Since then, no problems. And no creaking, crunching, grinding, or any noise of any kind on the Truvativ BB i replaced the Sealex with. Now that i've said that however.....................

Perhaps it's the cracks in the crankarms that are creaking. If you've gotten two years out of those cranks, consider yourself lucky. Mine broke on the non-drive side, but the drive side was about ready to let go too when that happened. Take a close look at the crank arms anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 inches out from the BB and I bet you money you'll find the cracks I'm talking about. I was lucky I wasn't injured, as it happened when I was putting a major effort into climbing over a log.

Re: Stylos

Yup, gotta get some new cranks now. The older Stylos were made from a soft alloy that allowed the taper to actually round out. Truvativ knows about this but the cranks usually fail after the warranty is over anyway. If you call them they may make you a good deal on a set on new arms, did for me. This was/maybe still a problem there as I have a pair of stlyos (isis) that are all stress out and are fully pressed onto the BB with no room left to tighten. I replaced chains, bb's and sprokets before I diagnosed the crank arms.

I Know Whatcha Mean!

Originally Posted by Bikehigh

Perhaps it's the cracks in the crankarms that are creaking. If you've gotten two years out of those cranks, consider yourself lucky. Mine broke on the non-drive side, but the drive side was about ready to let go too when that happened. Take a close look at the crank arms anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 inches out from the BB and I bet you money you'll find the cracks I'm talking about. I was lucky I wasn't injured, as it happened when I was putting a major effort into climbing over a log.

I broke my driveside stylos,got a replacement, put the new side on,and 3 or 4 days later,the other side broke (in half! both times!!) swear to god I never broke cranks before than or sense than. I switch to hussefelts on both rides, and they are great.
both breaks happened on asphalt while commuting to work...
very strange indeed!
they both broke in that paper thin section about an inch from the bolt. CRAP!

Hey smart guy, it's not just me that's had the experience. Yours aren't the ones that are creaking either, are they. It's only a matter of time, and then you can apologize. There are few absolutes in life, but Stylo cranks of a couple years ago being crap is one of them. Why do you think Truvativ is trying so hard to let people know the newer ones are supposedly more fatigue resistant? Maybe you should ride a little more and they'd actually have some stress applied to them.

Thanks all, I pulled the cranks off and relubed everything last night and that seems to have cured the creeking sound, but I'll find out for sure during tonight's ride. Looks like it was the loctite on the pedals that was causing the problem, as soon as I cleaned them and reinstalled with anti-seize the sound stopped.

As for the Stylo's, while mine haven't broken yet they are very flexy. I had to replace my bottom bracket with a wider one because under heavy load it was flexing so much it was rubbing the chain stay! These things bend a solid 4-5 mm. Never had that problem with any other crank. Better cranks are the next upgrade in store for the SS once I have the $.

Stylo creak/rounding

I posted something about this a couple of days ago. I crank down my bolts tighter than I want them, and they still creak (non-drive side) and the inboard face of the arm is deformed in the shape of my spindle. They gotta go.

I posted something about this a couple of days ago. I crank down my bolts tighter than I want them, and they still creak (non-drive side) and the inboard face of the arm is deformed in the shape of my spindle. They gotta go.

Hey Drevil, How does that ENO crank compare to your Race Face, particularly in terms of stiffness? I plan to replace my stylo later this year when I have the cash and my short list is basically the ENO, new Race Face integrated system or an older tapered race face turbine.

Hey Drevil, How does that ENO crank compare to your Race Face, particularly in terms of stiffness? I plan to replace my stylo later this year when I have the cash and my short list is basically the ENO, new Race Face integrated system or an older tapered race face turbine.

Not sure yet. I've only ridden it since Sunday. You may fondle it if you show up at Wakefield tonight.